At 26, Fatou’s skin is marbled from layer on layer of whitening cream. Yet despite the damage to her face, the hairdresser based in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital Abidjan still uses skin-lightening products in her quest for a paler complexion.

“I love light skin,” Fatou said. “I can’t stop.”

Many Ivorian women – as well as increasing numbers of men – are using creams despite their known health risks, defying a government ban introduced earlier this year.

The ban outlawed the sale of whitening products because of associated health problems, ranging in seriousness from white spots and acne to cancer. If applied liberally, the cosmetics can also cause high blood pressure and diabetes, according to Elidje Ekra, a dermatologist at Abidjan’s Treichville university hospital.